JP3943471B2 - Image management apparatus and image management program - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image management apparatus that displays a captured image based on position information such as GPS (Global Positioning System) information. More specifically, the present invention can efficiently select a target image from an image database in which captured images are stored. The present invention relates to an image management apparatus and an image management program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A technique is known in which shooting position information (longitude and longitude) is recorded in an image file and marking is displayed at a corresponding position on an electronic map to indicate the presence of the image. In order to make the shooting process easier to understand, devices such as connecting the lines in order of shooting time have been made. (See Patent Documents 1 and 2)
[0003]
However, if there are many images that have almost the same shooting position but different shooting times, the marking display concentrates on the same display area, making it difficult to instantly grasp the shooting order.
[0004]
Therefore, a technique for creating a three-dimensional space with the X axis as the longitude, the Y axis as the latitude, and the Z axis as the shooting time, and marking the presence position of the shot image based on the shooting position information and the shooting time information is proposed. It was done. (See Patent Document 3)
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 08-335034 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-233985 [Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-344591 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, since all corresponding images, that is, all images on the time axis, are displayed on a map that is a two-dimensional space, when the number of shots is as large as thousands. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to select a target image because the marking display images are displayed on the monitor in an overlapping state.
[0007]
Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an image management apparatus and an image management program capable of selectively displaying an image on a two-dimensional space such as a map according to the time period when the image was taken. .
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, an image management apparatus according to the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores a captured image in association with shooting position information indicating the shooting position and shooting time information indicating the shooting date and time, A time zone selecting means for selecting a time zone, and a captured image taken in the time zone selected by the time zone selecting means, and stored in the image storage means based on the shooting time information An image extracting means for extracting from the image, and a photographed image marking means for displaying the presence of a photographed image extracted by the image extracting means at a corresponding position in a two-dimensional space based on the photographing position information. Equipped with.
[0009]
The image management program of the present invention causes a computer system to function as the image management apparatus of the present invention.
[0010]
With the above configuration, when an arbitrary time zone is selected, the image management apparatus of the present invention extracts a captured image taken in that time zone, and two-dimensionally indicates that the captured image exists. Marking is displayed at the corresponding position in space.
[0011]
Therefore, according to this image management apparatus, it is possible to selectively display an image on a two-dimensional space such as a map according to the time period when the image is taken. This prevents the displayed images from being displayed on the monitor in a state where they overlap each other, and makes it easy to select a target image. The marking display may be performed by displaying the image itself or by displaying the mark image.
[0012]
Further, if the length of the time zone that can be selected by the time zone selection means can be adjusted, the number of captured images that are marked and displayed at a time can be adjusted.
[0013]
In addition, if the time zone selected by the time zone selection means and the time zone before and after the time zone are displayed simultaneously with the two-dimensional space, the current time zone in the two-dimensional space can be displayed. It can be easily grasped visually whether the photographed image is marked.
[0014]
In addition, if the configuration is such that the number of captured images taken in each time zone is displayed beside the belt image, it is possible to grasp in which time zone there are many images taken. In this case, the number of photographed images may be represented by a numerical value or a graph.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an image management system to which the present invention is applied. This image management system includes a personal computer (personal computer) 100 and a digital camera 200 that are used as an image management apparatus.
[0016]
The digital camera 200 uses the memory card 210 as a recording medium, and records a captured image (captured image) on the memory card 210 as digital image data. The digital camera 200 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal receiving antenna 201, and has a function of obtaining a current position and a current time by GPS. A GPS receiving circuit (not shown) in the digital camera 200 receives information from four satellites simultaneously by the GPS signal receiving antenna 201, measures the distance, and solves the four equations to determine the position of the receiving place ( (Latitude, longitude, etc.) information and time information of reception time are measured.
[0017]
The digital camera 200 stores the current position information and current time information obtained as described above together with the captured image in an image file of a predetermined format and records it in the memory card 210. The memory card 210 stores a plurality of image files including a photographed image photographed by the digital camera 200, photographing position information thereof, and photographing time information. The image file recorded on the memory card 210 can be transferred to the personal computer 100 by removing the memory card 210 on which the image file has been recorded from the digital camera 200 and inserting it into the memory card drive 120 of the personal computer 100.
[0018]
The personal computer 100 reads an image file from the memory card 210 inserted into the memory card drive 120 and stores it in a built-in storage device (hereinafter referred to as DB) such as a hard disk.
[0019]
An image management program according to the present invention is installed in the personal computer 100. By executing the image management program, the personal computer 100 functions as an image management apparatus including the image storage unit, the time zone selection unit, the image extraction unit, and the captured image marking unit described in the claims.
[0020]
The image management program manages all photographed images stored in the DB in the personal computer 100, displays an electronic map (two-dimensional space) on the monitor 150 based on the photographing position information and photographing time information, and this electronic map. A marking is displayed at the corresponding position on the upper side to indicate that an image photographed at that position exists in the DB.
[0021]
FIG. 2 shows an example of the data structure of the image file 250 recorded on the memory card 210. The image file 250 includes tag (Tag) information 251, a thumbnail 252, and a main image 253. Tag information 251 includes shooting mode information (latitude, longitude) and shooting time information (year, month, hour, minute, second) acquired by the digital camera 200 by GPS, shooting mode, title, and white balance. Attached information such as focus is stored.
[0022]
3 to 5 show examples of image management program execution screens displayed on the monitor 150 of the personal computer 100. FIG. The image management program has map data (two-dimensional space data), and based on the shooting position information (latitude, longitude) of the image file 250, the shooting position of the image is displayed on the electronic map 254 with marker pins 255 ( It has a function of marking display (see FIGS. 3 to 5A).
[0023]
The user can select an arbitrary marker pin 255 by operating an input device such as a mouse connected to the personal computer 100, and an image corresponding to the selected marker pin 255 is displayed as one frame. The attached information is also displayed (see FIGS. 3 to 5B). The selected marker pin 255 is displayed in a form different from the non-selected marker pin (in the example shown, different in color and size) and is displayed at the forefront. Since the normal marker pins 255 are displayed in order from the oldest, the newer marker pin 255 is displayed in front when there is an overlap.
[0024]
Below the electronic map 254, a time zone selection bar (band image, time zone selection means) 260 for selecting a taken time zone is displayed, and further below that, a unit of time axis (month , Week, day), a unit selection bar 262 is displayed. The selection of the time zone and the unit of the time axis can be easily performed by operating a mouse or the like.
[0025]
In the example of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the week unit is selected as the unit of the time axis, and the week of May 22 to May 28 and the week of May 15 to May 21 are set as the time zone, respectively. Is selected. On the electronic map 254, the presence of all images taken within the selected week is indicated by marker pins 255.
[0026]
In the example of FIG. 5, the monthly unit is selected as the unit of the time axis, and May is selected as the time zone. In this case, since the images displayed in the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4 are all included in May, marker pins 255 are displayed on the electronic map 254 in a form including the cases of FIGS. 3 and 4 as a subset. Yes.
[0027]
As described above, by displaying the presence of images on the electronic map 254 for each time period taken with the marker pins 255, even when the number of shots is as large as thousands, the marker pins 255 overlap each other. Therefore, it is possible to easily select a target image without being displayed on the monitor 150.
[0028]
In addition, since the unit of the time axis is selected and the length of the selectable time zone can be adjusted, the number of marker pins 255 displayed at a time can be adjusted.
[0029]
In addition, since the selected time zone and the time zones before and after the selected time zone are displayed by the time zone selection bar 260 at the same time as the electronic map 254, the captured image of which time zone is currently marked on the electronic map 254 Can easily grasp visually.
[0030]
In addition, the number of shot images (number of shots) taken in each time zone is displayed beside the time zone selection bar 260 (between the electronic map 254 and the time zone selection bar 260 in the above example). Therefore, it can be easily grasped at which time zone many images were taken.
[0031]
In the above embodiment, the marker pin 255 is used as the marking display image. However, the image itself may be displayed as a thumbnail.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to selectively display an image on a two-dimensional space such as a map for each photographed time zone.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image management system to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an image file.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display example of an execution screen of an image management program.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another display example of the execution screen of the image management program.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another display example of an execution screen of an image management program.
[Explanation of symbols]
100: Personal computer (image management device)
150: Monitor 200: Digital camera 201: GPS signal receiving antenna 210: Memory card (recording medium)
250: Image file 254: Electronic map (two-dimensional space)
255: Marker pin (marking display image)
260: Time zone selection bar (time zone selection means, band image)
262: Unit selection bar (time zone selection means)

Claims (5)

Image storage means for storing the captured image in association with shooting position information indicating the shooting position and shooting time information indicating the shooting date and time;
Time zone selection means for selecting the time zone when the image was taken;
An image extracting means for extracting a photographed image photographed in the time zone selected by the time zone selecting means from the photographed images stored in the image storage means based on the photographing time information;
An image comprising: photographed image marking means for marking the presence of a photographed image extracted by the image extracting means at a corresponding position in a two-dimensional space based on the photographing position information. Management device. 2. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of a time zone that can be selected by the time zone selection unit can be adjusted. The image according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the time zone selected by the time zone selection means and the time zone before and after the time zone are displayed as a continuous band image simultaneously with the two-dimensional space. Management device. 4. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of photographed images photographed in each time zone is displayed beside the belt image. An image management program for causing a computer system to function as the image management apparatus according to claim 1.

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